Contact mechanism for battery operated watch



CONTACT MECHANISM FOR BATTERY OPERATED WATCH Filed Jan. 27, 1954 Sept. 17, 1957 J. A. VAN HORN ET AL 2 Sheets-Sheet l R m E Wu R 0 H m v A N H o v PHILIP E. BIEMILLER JAMES H. REESE ATTORNEY Sept. 17, 1957 J. A. VAN HORN ET AL CONTACT MECHANISM FOR BATTERY OPERATED WATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 27, 1954 INVENTOR JOHN A. VAN HORN PH ILIP E. BIENILLER JAMES H. REESE ATTORNEY United States Patent CONTACT MECHANISM FOR BATTERY OPERATED WATCH John A. Van Horn and Philip E. Biemiller, Lancaster,

and James H. Reese, Manheim, Pa., assignors to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa.

Application January 27, 1954, Serial No. 406,396

8 Claims. (Cl. 200-19) This invention relates to the mechanism of a make and break circuit for a battery operated watch.

The object of the present invention is to provide the mechanism for contacting an oscillating contact while moving in one direction and for swinging clear of said oscillating contact when moving in the other direction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact which will contact an oscillating contact with sutficient pressure to make good electrical contact when said oscillating contact is moving in one direction and to permit by-pass of said oscillating contact with a minimum expenditure of energy when said contact is moving in the other direction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an oscillating contact which by its oscillations controls a wiping contact making and breaking and the pressure by which said wiping contact is brought into engagement with the oscillating contact.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a resilient contact for engagement with an oscillating contact and to so mount the resilient contact that the duration of its engagement with the oscillating contact and the contacting pressure may be controlled.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide .a contact which will wipeboth longitudinally and vertically of an oscillating contact during said oscillatory movement in one direction and will be swung clear of said oscillating contact with a minimum expenditure of energy when said oscillating contact is moving in the other direction, said wiping action providing the necessary clean surface needed to make contact for the small voltage and pressure used.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a watch showing the balance wheel carried coil and the permanent magnets.

Figures 2 and 3 are plan views showing the make and break mechanism in difierent positions with the staff moving in a clockwise direction.

Figures 4 and 5 are plan views showing the make and break mechanism in different positions with the staff moving in a counter-clockwise direction.

Figure 6 shows a vertical cross section of the staff and the make and break mechanism.

Figure 7 shows a cross sectional detail of the contact supporting bridge.

Figure 8 is a plan view showing a modification of the resilient contact.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view partly in cross-section of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 8.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, a balance stafif 12 has mounted thereon a balance wheel 13, a roller 14 and an insulated collar 15. Carried on the insulated collar is a gold contact 16 which is connected through a wire 17 and screw 18 to a coil 20 carried by the balance wheel.

A'jewel pin 19 is mounted in an upright position on the roller 14 and at a predetermined angular distance from the contact 16.

A bridge 21 is securely held to the pillar plate 22 by a screw 23 and insulated from that pillar plate by an insulating collar 24.

The bridge at its forward projecting end is split at 25 and receives a pin 26 having a kerf 27 so that the pin may be easily turned to the proper angle. Tightly mounted on the underside of the pin is a coil spring 28 having one end 29 extending upward through a hole 30 in the head of the pin 26 and soldered thereto to provide an eificient electrical connection. The other end 31 of the spring 28 is extended horizontally toward the balance staff and into the path of oscillatory movement of the jewel pin 19. Soldered or otherwise secured to the extended end 31 is a contact making arm 32 adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the gold contact 16 during the oscillatory movement of the balance stafl A modification of the contacts is shown in Figures 8 and 9 in which the jewel pin 40 is made of metal and the end of the spring 41 has a glass covering 42 to provide the necessary insulation, the arm 32 performing exactly the same function with the gold contact 16 as formerly.

Referring particularly to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, and assuming that the motion in each of these figures is in the direction of the arrow, the operation of the contact making and breaking may be described. Figure 2 shows the balance stafi moving in a clockwise direction with the contacts entirely free of any engagement with any part of the balance staff. Figure 3 shows a continued movement in the same direction with the extreme end 36 of the horizontal end 31 of the spring being engaged by the jewel pin 19 flexing the entire length of the extended end 31 and a certain portion of the spring 28 and moving the contact making arm 32 out of any possible engagement with the gold contact 16, allowing the balance staff to pass the contact mechanism when moving in a clockwise direction with the least expenditure of energy, flexing the arm 31 throughout its entire length. Referring to Figure 4, the balance staff is shown moving in a counterclockwise direction with the jewel pin 19 about to engage the extreme end 36 of the horizontal end 31 of the spring, the fiat side of the D-shaped pin engaging the end 36. Figure 5 shows continued movement in a counter-clockwise direction with the end 31 swinging the contact making arm 32 into engagement with the gold contact 16 for the duration of time it takes for the end 36 to move across that portion of the flat surface of the D- shaped pin 19 which it has engaged. The movement of the arm 31 by the pin 19 when moving in a counterclockwise direction is resisted by contact of the arm 32 with the gold contact 16. The angle at which 32 and 31 are joined and the resiliency of these two wires determines the contact pressure between the arm 32 and the contact 16. The sliding motion between 16 and 32 provides a wiping action on both members of the contact, which keeps the surfaces clean and smooth even in the presence of chemical or electrical corrosion. In addition, and referring particularly to Figure 6, the terminal section of the contact arm 32 may be bent at an angle out of the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the contact 16. This angle, in combination with the flexing of the arm 32 during contact, results in a small amount of wiping in an axial direction, in addition to that circumferentially on the contact 16.

Adjustment of the wire spring 28 to bring the contacting arm 32 closer to or farther away from the oscillating gold contact 16 may be made by turning the pin 26 on which the spring is mounted. Further adjustment may Patented Sept. 17, 1957- 3 be made by rotating the bridge 21 about its anchoring screw 23 which would move the spring and bridge as a complete unit. It is also possible to bend the resilient wire spring end 31 and the contact arm 32 to increase or decrease the angle between them. V V a The duration of the engagement between the arm 32 and the contact 16 will depend on the angle between the spring end 31 and the arm 32, the original setting of the spring end 31 and the arm 32 in connection with the contact 16, the resiliency of the spring wire and the angulai' distance between the pin 19 and the contact 16. Any of these may be varied to obtain a combination of duration of engagement and contacting pressure.

'Where there is a need for a delicacy of engagement to minimize the energy expended, each bit of work that is avoided adds to the ef ficienc y of the machine. In a wrist watch operated for more than a year with a battery contained within the case, the variation in contact engaging pressure must be such as to provide a wiping contact 'and yet nottake too much energy from the battery by slowing down the balance wheel through that wiping contact. On the return oscillation of the wheel the pin 19 engages the spring end 31 and by flexing said spring end, moves the contact arm 32 away from any possible eng'agement with the contact 16. The present invention accomplishes this and at the same time provides a contact which will remain clean and smooth and at the same time will operate with the least expenditure of energy.

What is claimed is:

1.. A make and break mechanism for a battery operated.- watch having a pillar. plate, comprising an oscillating. balance staff mounted in said pillar plate, an electrical contact insulated from said staff and carried by said staff, a pin carried by said balance staff, a coil spring fixedly mounted in said pillar plate comparatively far from said balance staff and serving as an electrical conductor, said spring having one. end extended toward said balance staff and extending into the path of movement of the pin, a. contact making wire carried by. said extended spring end said wire extending toward and beyond said balance staff and adapted to be brought into contact with the balance staff. carried contact through pin engagement with said extended spring. end.

2,. A make. and breakmechanism for a battery operatedwatch having. a pillar plate, comprising an oscillating balance. staff mounted in said pillar plate, an electrical contact insulated from saidstaff. and oscillating therewith, a resilient electrical conductor fixedly mounted in said pillar. plate. comparatively far from said staff and extending to closeproximity, of said-staff, means carried by said staff, for engaging. said resilient conductor. during the oscillations of said staff toswing the end of. said resilient conductor through a predetermined arc, and. an electrical making contactwire. attached to said conductor and. ex: tending toward; and beyond said; balance staff and mov-. ableaway. from said staff carried contact during oscilla:

tion in one direction and into engagement with the. staff;

carriedcontact, for a predetermined angular rotation during oscillation in theother. direction.

3, A make and break mechanism forv a battery, oper: ated watch having. a pillar plate, comprising an oscillating balance staff mounted in. saidpillar plate, an. electrical contact carried by said staff and oscillatingtherewith, a,

pin carried by said balance staff, a wire fixedly mounted on said pillar plate and projecting into the path of movement of the pin and engaged by said pin during a predetermined. angle of rotation, contact making means carried by said wire extending toward andbeyond said balance staff and adapted-to be swung away fromsaid staff duringpscillationof the staff in one directionand forced into engagement with said staff carried electrical contact during a predetermined angle of rotation in the oscillatory movement in the other direction.

4. A make and break mechanism for abatteryoperated watch having a pillar plate, comprising an oscillating balance staff mounted in said pillar plate, an electrical contact insulated from said staff and oscillating therewith, a resilient electrical conductor fixedly mounted in said pillar plate comparatively far from said staff and having an end extending to close proximity of said staff, insulated means carried by said staff for engaging said resilient conductor and during the oscillationsof said staff to swing said resilient conductor through a predetermined arc, and means attached to said resilient conductor extending toward and beyond said balance staff and movable with said resilient conductor to engage the staff carried contact for a predetermined angle of rotation during oscillatory movement in one direction and to be swung free of said staff carried contact during oscillatory movement in the other direction.

5. A make and break mechanism for a battery operated watch, comprising an oscillating balance staff, an insulated collar on said staff, a contact carried by said collar and oscillating with said staff, a roller on said staff located below the contact, an upstanding jewel pin carried by said roller, said pin being angularly spaced from said contact by a predetermined angle, an insulating plate, a coil wire spring upright mounted on said plate and serving as an electric conductor, one end of said spring extending toward said staff and into the path of oscillating movement of the jewel pin, saidplate and spring being comparatively far from said staff to provide a comparatively long extended spring and to enable said end to flex easily when engaged by said jewel pin during the oscillating movement of saidpin, a conducting wire attached to said extended end and at an angle to said extended end, said wire being movable toward and away from the oscillating staff through movement of the extended wire, the movement caused by the staff moving in one direction effecting engagement of the pin with said extended end and swinging the conducting wire away from the staff carried contact, while movement of the staff in the opposite. direction brings the extended end into engagement with the jewel pin and swings the conducting wire against the staff carried contact with pressure determined by the angle-between the extended end and the conducting wire, said angle being such that the contacting movement of the conducting. wire with the staff carried contact being both longitudinal of the contact and vertical of the contact to provide awiping action which tends to spread. itself across the contact.

6. A make and. break mechanism fora battery operated watch. comprising an oscillating balance staff, an electrical: contact insulated. from said staff and carried by said staff, a pin carried by said balance staff, an elongated resilient, spring member resiliently attached to a fixed support relatively distant of said balance staff and extendingtowardssaid balancestaff into the path of movement ofthe pin, and: a contact; making wire carried bysaid elongated resilient spring member and extending toward and-pasta portion of; said. balance staff for engagement with, said contactwhen said pin engages said spring member moving in a predetermined direction.

7 A, make, and break, mechanism for a battery operated watch comprising an oscillating balance staff, an electrical contact insulated-from said staff and carried by. said staif, a pin carried by said balance staff, a coil spring having one end fixedly mounted comparatively distant r m a ba ance staf an el nga d resilient spring ber extending from the other end of said, coil spring towards said balanee staff into the path of movement of the pin, and a contact making wire carried by. said elongated resilient spring; member and; extending toward and p rtiqa fi a d a easa a fz r-e ga i aid 1 whe ai infi sa ai spr g. memb awn & a. redeferminedrdirccti n.

8., A makeand break mechanism for a. battery operatedwatch, comprising an oscillating balance. staff, an

electrical contacttinsulated' from said staff and carried by said staff at-a firstposition, a pin carried by-said balance staff at a second position removed from said first position by at least 90 degrees, an elongated resilient spring member resiliently attached to a fixed support relatively distant of said balance staff and extending towards said balance staif into the path of movement of the pin, and 5 a contact making wire carried by said elongated resilient spring member and extending toward and past a portion of said balance staff for engagement with said contact when said pin engages said spring member moving ina predetermined direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hubert Aug. 2, 1938 Geisslinger May 6, 1941 Black July 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Dec. 1, 1943 

